Building Design

We have received some of the early plans and designs for the church building in Manta! It is very exciting to think about this actually being built on the vacant lot the church now owns. The part on the right would be built first. It includes an auditorium, a nursery, and offices. The building to the left would mostly consist of classrooms. This picture doesn't show many of the details that are yet to be worked out, but it is consistent with the basic concept we have had in mind since first seeing the property. Please keep this process in your prayers as we seek the funding for construction.

Tungurahua

You probably saw on the news that an active volcano has been erupting in Ecuador. The volcano is Tungurahua. It has been in a series of eruptive cycles since 1999. Every so often it punctuates it's unhappiness with an exclamation point. The mild activity most of the time has allowed the local population of farmers and villagers to stay in the area in spite of warnings from the authorities and scientists; so when there is truly cause for alarm it is hard to get them out of their homes and away from their fields and livestock. We ask for your prayers for those people who live in the immediate area endangered by lava flows and mudslides, and for those in the broader region affected by ash and cinder. Thank you.

Super-Duper Sunday

Sunday was a big day in our ministry. I know that in a week with the Super Bowl and Super Tuesday our excitement may not seem like a big deal to you, but we felt great about it. On Sunday, February 3, we celebrated the third birthday of our congregation. We had our first Sunday service on the first Sunday of February 2005. There were about 30 people there. Our average attendance is now over 90 so we have grown considerably. This years anniversary was during the biggest holiday weekend of the year in Ecuador, yet the terrace was full for the morning service. You can see a large portion of the crowd in the photo.

On Sunday evening we had an activity in the local park. God answered our prayers and the heavy rains we had most of the weekend ceased as it grew dark. We showed an exciting, evangelistic film, gave away copies of the Gospel of John, and even had an evangelistic Bible study with those who were interested. We can estimate that around 200 watched at least some of the film, and over 70 participated in the Bible study. We are praying that there will be lasting fruit from the event.

By the time I got home, the Super Bowl had long been over, but I had the foresight to tape it. Even though I was tired, I stayed up and watched it. I have been a Giants fan since back in the late 1970's; so I had one more thing to be happy about. It was a Super-Duper Day!